July 7, 2014

What the heck, AEP?!

Last month I wrote about our electric bill.  We have AEP Ohio as our electric provider and AEP Energy as our supplier.  I canceled the budget installments with AEP Energy because it looked like we were accumulated a budget balance and since our bill kept going up, I wanted to quit paying extra.

So this month, I got a bill for $414!  I chatted with someone from AEP Energy and it turns out we were paying off a budget balance not accumulating one.  Which really makes no sense because with AEP Ohio we had extra money from the budget coming off previous bills.  So I asked to be put back on budget and was told "Once you terminate budget payments, you have to wait 12 months before they can be reinstated."  I HATE AEP.  That is so stupid.  So we owe $414 this month.

Now, I've been going back through our bills trying to figure out what all these numbers mean.  The bill from AEP Ohio makes sense to me, but the statement that AEP Energy sends me doesn't make sense at all.  The monthly due from each account is combined and on one bill with AEP Ohio so I've never really tried to break down all the charges.  Well, now I am and I just can't figure it out.  I even tried to chat with someone online with AEP Energy and it still doesn't make sense.

Example:

Statement for Feb 27 - March 28 -
Total Current Charge $182.43

Budget Installment $145.04
Budget Balance $371.08
Account Balance $516.12

On my AEP Ohio bill, the amount I paid for AEP energy was $145.04.  So why is the installment amount being added to the budget balance to total $516.12. Shouldn't the amount I paid be deducted from the balance?  And then the next month my budget balance is $309.61.  No matter how I try to figure it out it doesn't make sense and is completely frustrating.

I'm not paying this huge bill until I understand what I am actually paying.

5 comments:

  1. Ouch, how troublesome. Sucks they wont let you get back on it, even when it's so soon after. I too would go back and check... they may be messing the numbers in their favor.

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  2. Aren't you in a condo? Why so expensive? I hope you get it figured out.

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  3. Yes, a 960 sq ft condo. We don't have gas. Everything is run by electric. I think its ridiculously high and I've asked them to come out and do an audit. Aep will do them free if u have a house but because there are more than 4 condos in our building they won't do it for us. I asked our tenants what there bill is and there budget is set at $178. Ours was $244 last month and we have newer appliances.

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  4. We are on the budget plan for our electric company. We own a town house. I pay 133 a month. The bill will show us the actual amount one month. It also gives the budget amount we pay each month. It also has the total amount that we would owe (total, even if the budget amount doesn't cover the whole bill). IT's clear as mud right??

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  5. Yes, that is crazy high. It is so frustrating because in those situations, they have all the power, and they are the ones that get to make up the rules, and we just have to live with them.

    Hopefully you can make sense of the numbers and get some help from the.

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